At a Glance
During the Cold War, the United States evolved intelligence gathering technology, resulting in today’s real-time video capabilities. Initially, film was used in satellites to monitor treaty compliance and to gather information on the Soviet Union and other “denied areas.” The paramount orbiting vehicle, HEXAGON, was 60-feet long and took pictures from 100 miles up. The program was urgent and required cooperation between the CIA and the Air Force, guided by the National Reconnaissance Office. Join retired Air Force officer, Ricky Deutsch, for this unclassified briefing by someone “who was there” as he gives a first-person historical look at how high-resolution images were not only taken, but returned via parachute to be caught in mid-air. The camera system is said to be the most complicated ever built! This program was a critical Cold War asset and contributed to maintaining peace.
